1.2.1 to 1.2.2. (autopsy, time of death, body systems) Flashcards
Gross examination
Visual inspection of organs/tissues
Brain exam
Check brain for signs of injury; remove brain to be weighed and examined
External exam
Record description of the body, measure and weigh the body, noting external injuries
Stomach contents
Examine contents of the stomach (including medicines and pills) to determine identity and degree of digestion
Documentation
Take photographs recording injuries, identifying features, and state of decomposition
Sample collection
Collect blood, urine, and/or tissue samples, and send for additional testing
Cause of death
The specific injury, trauma, or disease that directly caused the decedent’s death
Mechanism of death
What happened physiologically (in the body) that resulted in death
Manner of death
The circumstances that resulted in death (natural, accident, suicide, homicide, undetermined)
Muscular system
Moves the body, moves substances around the body, maintains posture, and produces heat (skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, and smooth muscle)
Nervous system
Responds to internal and external changes by processing information and acting accordingly (brain, spinal cord, nerves & sensory receptors)
Circulatory system
Pumps blood around the body, transports oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients, and waste (like the highway of the body) (heart, blood vessels, veins, arteries, and capillaries)
Integumentary system
Forms the body’s external covering, protects deeper tissue from injury, and helps regulate body temperature (hair, skin, nails)
Reproductive system
Produces, transports, and sustains sperm/egg cells
Endocrine system
Secretes hormones that affect growth, reproduction, and metabolism (testis, adrenal gland, pituitary gland, ovary)
Respiratory system
Assists with gas exchange, keeps oxygen in the blood, and removes carbon dioxide waste (nasal cavity, trachea, lungs, bronchus)
Immune/lymphatic system
Filters fluids in the body and attacks foreign substances (lymph nodes, spleen, thymus, bone marrow)
Excretory system
Removes waste (liquid) from the body and regulates the amount of water in the blood (kidney, bladder, ureter, urethra)
Digestive system
Breaks down food into nutrients, absorbs nutrients, and gets rid of (solid) waste (oral cavity, esophagus, small intestine, large intestine, stomach)
Skeletal system
Protects and supports organs, stores minerals, and assists with movement (bones & joints)
Physiological time of death
The moment the decedent’s vital functions (ie, respiration) stopped
Estimated time of death
The time that the medical examiner estimates the death occured
Legal time of death
The time the body was found by another individual or the time they were declared dead (this time is on the death certificate)
Algor mortis
The body cools/heats to match the temperature of its surroundings. Algor starts immediately after death and ends 24 hours after death, when the body is the same temperature as its surroundings.
